While rigid hardtops comprise the roof system for most motor vehicles, there is a continuing demand for retractable tops, both soft and hard, for sportier “convertible” versions. Generally, the annual volume requirements for convertibles are low and the structural requirements are different enough from the standard rigid hardtop model that a special off-line or modular production facility is employed for build-up and assembly of convertible options. Different attachment points for the various types of roofs are usually required as well as hinging or sliding mechanisms for retracting the convertible top. A portion of the trunk of the vehicle is usually employed to store the retracted top in its collapsed form.
Roof systems for most vehicles are rigid metal sections, which are welded in place and provide a portion of the structural integrity of the vehicle. It is also common in the automobile industry to employ fabric soft top convertible roofs or retractable hardtop convertible roofs, which are movable from an extended position above a passenger compartment to a retracted position near the vehicle trunk. The traditional retractable hardtop roof system employs a plurality of rigid roof panels, which can slide or be hinged and retracted for storage into the rear passenger compartment or trunk of the vehicle. A more popular convertible roof system comprises a fabric-covered frame, which can fold and retract in a like manner taking up much less space in the vehicle.
However, to accommodate a variety of roof shapes or vehicle styling, as between a “notchback” (steeply angled rear window) and “fastback” (more slanted rear window) design on a vehicle platform, separate and different mechanisms must be provided to the assembly plant. Each of these mechanisms has its own subassemblies and attendant tooling and assembly details which do not allow the use of a single convertible top mechanism to accommodate both options.
Convertible or retractable soft and hardtops may be used in vehicles having a variety of roof styles, including a shorter passenger space with only two (front) seats and a storage space behind them, or in vehicles having a longer passenger space and four seats (two in front, two in the rear). Furthermore, these vehicles may differ in the amount of space available behind the rear seat for storage of the retracted top. In order to provide the ceiling over the passenger space, retractable mechanisms including a plurality of longitudinally spaced bows supporting a top cover are provided, spaced apart from one another. Each length of top or style of roof is unique in the componentry that makes up the mechanism and in component dimensions, which when combined with low sales volume may add significant cost to the vehicle.
In order to reduce the cost of the convertible roof or top for these lower volume options, it is desirable to provide a single basic mechanism which may include only a few application-specific components which are unique to a specific style of vehicle or length of roof, and wherein most of the components of the roof system are common.
In this manner, by providing unique components for the rearmost portion of the roof system, the remainder of the forward componentry may be commonly used for a number of convertible top configurations for a vehicle platform, allowing the rear shape of the roof to be styled differently from one vehicle application to another while carrying over most of the mechanism.
There are numerous patents which address convertible soft tops and retractable hardtops for vehicles, however, in each case a top which is specially designed to accommodate only that style of body is described, rather than a common architecture with a few unique (rearmost) components which allow the top to accommodate any length or style of vehicle as provided by the present invention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,048,021, 6,199,936, 6,213,534, 6,390,532B1, 6,422,637B1, 6,439,642, 6,499,792, 6,722,724, 6,726,269 and 6,796,597 are directed at convertible soft tops and retractable hardtops for motor vehicles and are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and are included herein by reference.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a roof architecture that allows the installation of a mechanism including primarily common components and only a few unique or dedicated rearmost components which may close the open space of a number of similar vehicles varying primarily in roof styling or configuration.
It is further object of this invention to provide a mechanism which includes a few rearmost unique components and a majority of common components which may be used to provide roof systems of different configurations.
It is further object of this invention to provide a convertible top architecture which may provide reduced tooling and piece costs by requiring only a few unique components which allow the tops to be used in multiple vehicle applications.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which, for purposes of illustration only, show several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.